How Women Can Map a Plan to Protect Their Heart
What is an antioxidant and why is important to heart health? To really understand what an antioxidant is we need to first understand oxidation. Oxidation quite simply is the loss of electrons when two or more substances interact. You can see oxidation take place when you cut into an apple and leave it sitting out. Oxidation can be seen by the browning of the white meat of the apple. Oxidation can also be seen in the rusting of metals. Now that we understand a little about what oxidation is we can move on to an antioxidant. Antioxidants slow down the oxidative damage that is produced naturally. When the cells of our body use oxygen they naturally produce free radicals.
These free radicals can cause cell damage. Antioxidant act as free radical scavengers and prevent the damaging effects of oxidation. Oxidation has been linked to such problems as heart disease, diabetes, Cancer, macular degeneration and aging. Foods such as carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and kale to name just a few are high in vitamin A and carotids which act as antioxidants. Super foods like oranges, limes, green peppers, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables are high in vitamin C also are antioxidants. Of course, the best source of antioxidants is from our food but we can also obtain antioxidants through supplementation.